Can elevator



Sept. 15, 1959 H. J. TALGE ETAL CAN ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 6, 195'? .if Il,... l

Sept. l5, 1959 H. J. TALGE ET AL CAN ELEvAToR Filed Feb. 6, 1957 2 sheets-smet 2 IN VEN TORS. He/3y l 72g@ -BY fia/2k Abe/en TTQRNEV.

United States Patent CAN ELEVATOR Henry J. Talge, Kansas City, Mo., and Frank E. Aberer, Kansas City, Kans., assign'ors to John C. Hockery, Kansas City, Mo., trustee Application February 6, 51957, Serial No. 638,581

Claims. (Cl. 81-3.'32)

This invention relates to devices for opening cans employable by individuals having the use of but a single hand and refers more particularly to an elevator mechanism for manipulating and positioning a can to be opened relative the cutting mechanism of a conventional can opener for use by such an individual.

The use of conventional can openers invariably requires the simultaneous availability of two hands on the part of the operator as the can must be not only lifted and inserted in the can cutting mechanism, but also the can cutting mechanism actuated to first engage and then cut the can, it being sometimes required that the operator additionally steady the can during the cutting process. After the cutting operation, again, there is the problem of simultaneously holding the can and disengaging the can cutting mechanism. Thus, a one-handed or disabled person living alone or faced .with the necessity of opening a can 'when by chance alone, finds it well nigh impossible to employ conventional can openers without aid.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a can opener and can elevator mechanism in combination therewith, both completely operable in all of the steps of opening a can by an individual having the use of only one hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener and can elevator mechanism in combination therewith, both completely operable in all steps of opening a can by an individual having the use of only one hand, the can opener and elevator mechanism, in combination, able to open all conventional sized cans available today by changing the arrangement of the parts of the elevator mechanism or adding thereto, vall such changes and/or additions elfectable by the use of only one hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can elevator mechanism operable in combination with a conventional can opener to receive a can to be opened, elevate it into position with the rim thereof inserted within the can cutting mechanism, support the can with its rim in the can cutting mechanism so the latter can be actuated to engage the can top and, as well, support the can while it is cut, and, then, lower the cut can away from the cutting mechanism after it is disengaged therefrom, all of these operations performable by individuals having the use of only a single hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can elevator mechanism and attachment for can openers, as described, of rugged construction and long life, simple and positive in operation, and easily manipulable without excessive effort by a individual having the use of only a single hand.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a can elevator mechanism for use with can openers, the elevator mechanism having a platform to receive the can, the entire elevator mechanism being attached to the can opener frame and tiltable simultaneously with 'the lifting of the platform to permit the engagement of the top of the can Within the can cutting mechanism, the elevator means able to support the can within the can cutting mechanism for the actuation thereof and the cutting of the can while remaining in the tilted position.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description thereof.

ln the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, an embodiment of the invention is shown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view of a conventional can opener in combination with the inventive can elevator mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a rear-end view of the can opener of Fig. 1 with the inventive elevator mechanism attached thereto, the elevator shown in dotted lines in position to engage the top rim of the can within the can cutting mechanism, the elevator mechanism shown in full lines at the same elevated position without a can engaged in the can cutting mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the inventive can elevator mechanism with the can carrying platform in lower position.

Fig. 4 is a view taken along the lines 4--4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the inventive can elevator mechanism with the can supporting platform in its upper position.

Fig. 6 is a view taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrovvs.

Fig. 7 is a 'View taken along the lines 7 7 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a three-quarter perspective view of the inventive can elevator mechanism showing the can receiving platform in its low position with a secondary platform mounted thereon.

Fig. 9 is a view taken along the lines 9 9 of Fig. 8 in the direction of the arrows.

The actual can opener frame and mechanism illustrated in connection with the inventive can elevator mechanism is that shown in our Patent No. 2,694,855, entitled Can Opener, issued November 23, 1954. The can opener construction `here is substantially the same as that shown therein and will be described in this application only insofar as it is required to cooperate with and permit the operation of the inventive elevator mechanism. It should be understood that any of several types of bases could be employed here, such as the base shown in the above patent and the particular base construction does not constitute a part of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and Figs. l and 2, the can opener has an elongate body member or support 10 stamped from heavy sheet metal, one end of the body being riveted or otherwise secured to a rigid, circular base 11 mounted over and rotatably fixed to a circular sub-base member 11a. A flexible rubber suction cup or disk 13 is received by the sub-base 11a and mechanism (not shown) cooperating between the base 11 and sub-base 11a as well as the disk permits the disk to be fixed by vacuum to any suitable iiat surface. Since the base engaging means does not constitute a part of the invention, it v/ill not be described here and it should be understood that any suitable means for fixing either the base 11 or the body member 10 to a suitable surface would suffice.

When mounted as described, the body member 10 projects outwardly from the base and comprises a shank portionltla which, for strength and rigidity, is slightly V-shaped in transverse cross section, this portion terminating in a flat, generally circular head portion 10b that is centrally apertured and braced by a marginal flange 10c joining the head and shank portions.

Abutting one face of the at head portion 10b is a swivel plate 24 which is centrally apertured correspondi 3 ing to the head portion of the body member 10. Cutter mounting plate is mounted on plate 24 in face to face relationship by means of rivets and is apertured centrally corresponding to the base plate 16 and the plate 24. The aperture 26 therein is shaped to provide 'a stop shoulder 27 at one end thereof. Lever 30 is provided with a flange 30a which cooperates with the upper edge of swivel plate 24 to limit the travel of the lever 30 in one direction. Lever 30 has grasping knob 31 at the end thereof. Cutter plate 25 has an outwardly dished boss portion 32 carrying a downwardly inclined spindle 33 with a cutter wheel 34 rotatably journaled thereon. Forwardly and rearwardly of the zone of action of this cuter wheel are a pair of fixed shoulder members 35 (one not shown) adapted to engage the upper rim of a can to stabilize it during the cutting operation.

Below the cutter wheel is a serrated feed wheel 36 which is screw-threadedly secured to one end of a shaft 37 and rotatable by a hand crank 38 secured to the other end of the shaft. Shaft 37 extends through the apertures in the various plates 10b, 24 and 25 and is rotatably journaled in a number of parts which it is not necessary to describe here.

The basic operation of the can opener of Patent No. 2,694,855 consists in the movement of the feed or engaging wheel 36 upwardly or downwardly relative the fixed cutter wheel 34 by movement of the lever 30. When the lever 30 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, the feed wheel is as far displaced from the cutter wheel as possible to permit the insertion of a can rim between the cutter wheel and the feed wheel. When the lever 30 overlies the plate 24 with the flange 30a thereof engaging the top of the plate 24, the feed wheel has moved up under the cutter wheel so as to puncture with the cutter wheel any can top which may be positioned therebetween. The relative vertical position of the cutter and feed wheel in the position of Fig. l is clearly visible in Fig. 2. The handle 38 serves to rotate the shaft 37 and feed wheel 36 in either direction depending upon the direction of rotation of the handle. The feed wheel engaging the rim of a can thus moves the can around so the cutter wheel cuts the can. Magnet 39, having mounting arm 39a, may be employed to secure the top of the can as the can is cut and prevent it falling into the can.

As previously mentioned, the structure and operation of this can opener is the same as that set forth in our Patent No. 2,694,855, entitled Can Opener.

Referring now to the inventive elevator mechanism, at 40 is shown the front face of a carrier frame having a longitudinal slot 41 extending from a point adjacent the upper portion thereof out the lower end thereof. Rearwardly extending edges 42 from the face 40 of the frame form a trough therebetween. Motion limiting stud 43 is fixed to the side of one of the edges 42. The upper edges 42a of the rearwardly extending edges 42 angle slightly upwardly rearwardly. Tab 44 at thecenter top edge of the frame is formed substantially at right angles to the face of the frame so as to overlie it somewhat. Can side support block 45 is formed on the face 40 of the carrier frame and extends outwardly from the face thereof essentially as far as the tab 44.

A primary slide 46 mountable on the frame has rearwardly extending edges 47 which are crimped over the rear sides of the frame edges 42 so the primary slide can slidably move therealong. Outwardly extending tab 48 is formed on the center lower edge of the face of primary slide 46. Referring to Fig. 7, stud 49 is formed on the rear face of the primary slide and operates to engage the top of the slot 41 when the slide approaches the upper end thereof. The motion limiting stud 43 on the edge 42 of the carrier frame abuts the lower edge of the primary slide when it approaches the bottom of the carrier frame. Thus the primary slide 46 can move 4 vertically on the carrier frame between these two extremes.

Means for locking the primary slide 46 at any given vertical position on the frame between these two extremes are provided within the trough on the back of the carrier frame and attached to the back face of the primary slide. This means comprises preferably an eccentric disk 50 having a serrated portion 51 on the edge thereof and mounted upon shaft 52 having enlarged head 53 thereon. Arm 54 is fixed to the disk opposite the serrated portion thereof and is of suflicient length and angled as at 54a to clear the frame of the can opener. A portion of the primary slide may be cut away as at 47a to facilitate operation. As the disk is eccentric, movement of the arm 54 upwardly will cause the lesser diameter portion of the disk to oppose the rearwardly extending edge 42 and thus permit sliding of the primary slide 46 up and down on the carrier frame. The lever arm 54 is also sul`n`ciently long enough to give a good grasp to permit the vertical sliding of slide 46 on the frame by this lever.

Means for mounting a secondary slide on the face of the primary slide comprise a shaft 55 fixed to the front face of the primary slide and having an enlarged head 56 attached to the free end thereof. Secondary slide 57 has notches 58 and 59 formed in the lower and upper edges thereof so as to releasably engage tab 48 on the primary slide. Slot 60 is formed centrally thereof whereby the secondary slide can be moved vertically relative the primary slide the length of the slot around the shaft 55. Can carrying platform 61 is fixed to one end of the secondary slide and extends outwardly at right angles thereto. Either notch 58 or notch 59 may be engaged with the tab 48 by inverting slide 57 to position the can carrying platform in the upper position as in Figs. 5 and 6 or in the lower position as in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4 and 8.

A slotted flange 62 is fixed to the can opener frame, in this instance the plate 25 and extending substantially at right angles thereto. The tab 44 at the top of the carrier frame is engageable with the slot 63 in flange 62. The distance between the upper portion of the can positioning block 45 and the lower surface of the tab 44 on the frame must be gauged relative the thickness of the flange 62 and the position of the slot 63 relative the free edge of the flange 62.

The can carrying platform 61 is slotted at the sides thereof as shown at 61a (Figs. l, 8 and 9) so that an auxiliary platform 64 with supporting flanges 65 and tabs 66 extending downwardly therefrom can be mounted thereon. Tabs 66 are curved in vertical cross section to frictionally engage the outside faces of slots 61a. Magnet 67 is preferably positioned centrally of platform 61 to aid in fixing cans thereto. In Fig. 8 the auxiliary platform 64 is shown mounted on the can carrying platform 61 when the latter is in its lower position relative the primary slide but the auxiliary platform 64 is also employed with the platform 61 when the latter is in its upper position and the height of the platform 64, as well as the size and position relationship of the other parts of the mechanism are so designed that even sardine cans can be properly supported relative the can cutting mechanism when the platform 61 is in its upper position, the auxiliary platform is positioned thereon and primary slide 46 is at its upper level on the frame.

In operation, to open a can using the inventive can elevator mechanism, the following steps are performed. The can opener frame itself is first positioned relative a horizontal table surface 77 or vertical wall surface and fixed thereto. The particular can opener shown in Figs. l and 2 may be attached to either a vertical or horizontal surface and the cutting mechanism portion of the frame may be adjusted over a arc relative the support 10. At any rate, the slotted flange 62 must be in a substantially horizontal portion after the can opener has been position and fixed to any such surface. In Figs. 1

and 2, the can opener has been iixed relative a horizontal surface. The base of the can opener which is disclosed and described in my application above mentioned is one which may be operated by a onehanded person by rotation of the can opener frame, support and base 11 relative the sub-base 11a to tix the suction cup A13 to a surface.

After the can opener has been fixed to the surface, the can cutting wheel 34 and the can engaging wheel 36 are separated by manipulation of the lever 30 to the position shown in Fig. 1. This prepares the can opener for insertion of a can rim between the can cutting wheel and the can engaging wheel.

The frame of the can elevator may now be or may previously have been attached to the slotted flange by engagement of the tab 44 with slot 63 of flange 62 so the can elevator frame hangs free, suspended only by its top end and rotatable away from the can base. The rearwardly extending upper frame edges 42a abut the underside of the can opener frame plates 25 and 24 to prevent any further motion of the elevator frame toward the can opener base 11.

It will be rst assumed that a relatively large can 68 (as in Fig. 2) is to be set upon the can carrying platform 61, the platform and primary slide 46 being positioned sufficiently low that the upper edge 70 of the can is below the top of can engaging wheel 36. The can is positioned on the platform by the operator with one hand, with its lower edge 69 against the front face of the secondary slide 57 (or closely adjacent thereto) so that one side is next to the block 45. The operator then grasps the free enlarged end 54a of the lever 54 and tilts the frame slightly outwardly around its pivot point as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines. With the frame 40 tilted slightly outwardly, the end 54a of the lever is slightly lifted to disengage the serrated disk 53 from the disk engaging side of the frame edge 42. Then, maintaining the frame slightly tilted outwardly and the handle 54 slightly tilted upwardly to keep it in disengaged position, the operator may easily slide the can carrying platform 61 and primary and secondary slides 46 and 57 upwardly along the frame until the can rim moves into the gap between the can cutting wheel and can engaging wheel (Fig. 2). Maintaining the upward pressure on the inner length of lever 54, the operator then rotates the outer portion 54a of the llever downwardly to engage the serrated disk 50 with the engaging side of the frame edge 42. Thus, the platform 61 is fixed in position with the can rim 70 between the can cutting wheel and can engaging wheel and the upper end 71 of the can substantially abutting the edge of the cutter wheel 34. The lever 30 of the can opener may then be moved back to its position along the top of the can opener frame to move the can engaging wheel 36 upwardly to puncture the can carrying the can slightly upwardly by edge 70. Rotation of the lever 38 will then cut the can. All of these steps in the operation of the can opener per se are described in our above listed patent. While the can is being cut and plunctured, the frame ange 62 and the block 45 support the side of the can and the can-holding elements 35 on either side of the cutting wheel also help retain the can rigidly in position.

After cutting the cam, the can opener lever 30 in moved to the position shown in Fig. l and the can slightly drops from intimate engagement between the two wheels 34 and 36 back onto the platform 61. However, the can rim 70 is still engaged in the position shown in Fig. 2 so the can is stable on the platform 61.

To lower the cut and opened can from the position of Fig. 2, the operator merely has to raise the end 54a of the lever 54 to disengage the serrated disk 50 from the inside wall of the frame edge 42, tilt the bottom of the frame slightly outwardly and lower the slides 46 and 57 by means of the lever 54, downwardly carrying the platform 61 and can therewith. Once the can carrying platform and can rim 70 are free of the cutting area of can opener, the operator may engage the serrated disk 50 with the inside wall of the frame edge, stopping the motion of the slides on the frame, and then lower the bottom of the frame into the vertical position (full lines Fig. 2).

The operator may then pick up the cut can, the top having been retained by the magnet 39 and pour out the contents as desired. It should be observed that at no time was there simultaneous manipfulation of more than one part. When the operator is employing the can elevating mechanism, the can opener mechanism is not in operation. Conversely, when the can opener mechanism is being operated, then the can elevator mechanism is not in operation. Thus only one hand is employed at any given time in the process of opening the can.

To employ the can elevator with cans of lesser height, the secondary slide is merely lifted slightly with the slot 6i) moving under the stud head 56 and the secondary slide 57 can be rotated until the notch 58 can engage the lower stud 48 on the primary slide. With the canholding platform in this position, smaller cans may be elevated into engagement with the can cutting mechanism.

For exceedingly small cans, or intermediate sized cans as desired, the platform 64 may be employed with the can carrying platform in either the upper or the lower position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth together with other advantages which are inherent to the construction.

It will be understood that certain features `and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and .subcombinations This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be tmderstood that |all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings `is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. Means for positioning cans relative -a can opener frame comprising a carrier frame forming a vertical slideway, means for attaching the upper end of the frame to the can opener frame, a primary slide mounted on and vertically movable relative the carrier frame, means for fixing the slide at various vertical positions -along the carrier frame, a secondary slide mounted on the primary slide and vertically movable relative thereto, a can carrying platform carried on one extremity of the secondary slide, and means cooperating between the primary slide and the secondary slide to permit fixed mounting of the platform above or below the free end of the secondary slide.

2. Apparatus as in claim l wherein `the secondary slide is slotted and the slot receives a stud on the primary slide.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the secondary slide is notched at its upper and lower ends and a lug on the primary slide is engageable in either of said notches.

4. Means for positioning cans relative a can opener frame comprising a carrier frame forming a vertical slideway, means for attaching the upper end of the frame to the canopener frame, la primary slide mounted on and vertically movable relative the carrier frame, means for fixing the primary slide at various vertical positions along the carrier frame, a stud carried by said primary slide adjacent .the top portion thereof, a secondary slotted slide receiving said stud within said slot for movement relative said primary slide, said secondary slide notched at its upper and lower ends, a lug on said primary slide adjacent the bottom portion thereof selectively engageable in either of said notches, and a can l I7' A carrying platform mounted adjacent one end of said secondary slide and movable therewith.

5. Means for positioning cans relative a can opener frame comprising a carrier frame forming a vertical slideway, said frame having at least a portion of the front face thereof vertically slotted and rearwardly extending edge flanges defining a trough therebetween on the rear face of the carrier frame, a primary slide mounted on and vertically movable relative the carrier frame, the primary slide having a `front face overlying the front face of the carrier frame and edge runners slidably overlying at least a portion of the carrier frame 8 edge flanges, a can carrying platform carried by said primary slide and vertically movable therewith, a shaft fixed to the `rear face of the primary slide extending through the 'slot in the carrier frame, and means on the shaft for selectively f rictionally engaging and disengaging at least one wall of the trough 4in the vframe.

Morgan Nov. 7, 1893 Gundelnger June 4, 1957 

